Gas turbine engines include compressor, combustor, and turbine sections. Two or more components within a section or in adjacent sections may be clamped together, such as by bolting, to form a seal between the components. Over time reduced sealing pressure, such as by bolt load relaxation can occur.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,013 to M. Moller discloses a coupling apparatus for connecting a combustor to a transition in a gas turbine. The coupling apparatus comprises a transition cylinder attached to the discharge end of the combustor, a cylinder flange formed on the downstream end of the transition cylinder, a transition having an upstream end on which a transition flange is formed, and a plurality of nut and bolt combinations circumferentially spaced about the periphery of the flanges for maintaining the transition when the cylinder flange mates with the transition flange. The cylinder flange further comprises a spigot lip and the transition flange further comprises a recess for receiving the spigot lip so as to effect a tight spigot fit when the cylinder flange mates with the transition flange.
The present disclosure is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discovered by the inventors.